It's over 30 years since the iconic, BAFTA award-winning film, based on the novel by Booker prize-winning author Roddy Doyle. The score, packed with soul music classics, is a timeless one but will the musical, directed by Andrew Linnie, live up to it?
The story centres on Jimmy Rabbitte, played by James Killeen, and the impressive soul band he puts together from a group of Dublin amateur musicians, 'The Commitments'.
We sit in on a series of amusing band auditions before Jimmy finally finds the musicians who fit his vision, along with obnoxious, diva-ish singer Deco.
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Former Coronation Street regular Nigel Pivaro is suitably convincing as Jimmy's curmudgeonly but loving dad, while Killeen plays Jimmy with the archetypal firmness of a band manager but with a pinch of added craic - something the show could do with more of - it is set in Ireland after all.
Stuart Reid, as cheesy horn player Joey The Lips, lives up to the part, seducing two of the female backing singers, including one he 'doesn't really fancy'.
Ronnie Yorke meanwhile puts in a stellar comic performance as the ever fight-ready bouncer Mickah, strutting around the stage searching for any bit of bother he can find and then reverting back to a quiet, ultra reasonable tone of voice once he's sorted the offending person out.
The band is excellent, with all the irresistible soul anthems you'd expect, including Mustang Sally, Knock On Wood, I Heard It Through The Grapevine, Papa Was A Rolling Stone, Try A Little Tenderness, Proud Mary, You Keep Me Hangin' On and many more.
The vocals and choreography are good - with standout performances from the gutsy girl trio Imelda, Bernie and Natalie - but not outstanding.
The show skirts over the story, which makes it feel insubstantial. This wouldn't matter so much if the songs were more full fat versions but they could do with a little more welly at times and a little more, well, soul.
We do get a couple of full power song performances from Ben Morris' Deco at the end but it's taken a while to build up the momentum you'd expect.
Despite the wait though, the audience are still up for it in both mind and body, and are all on their feet dancing and clapping along for the finale.
It's without doubt a fun, entertaining evening out and tonight’s eponymous band are indisputably good but whether, like its various departing members, you'd commit to them, is a little less certain.
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